Toothless

FOUR out of ten. Could do a lot better. That’s the story for Wilmslow so far this season as once more a tidal wave of indifference swept across Pownall Park and the toothless Wolves surrendered without a fight to lowly Tyldesley.

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FOUR out of ten. Could do a lot better. That’s the story for Wilmslow so far this season as once more a tidal wave of indifference swept across Pownall Park and the toothless Wolves surrendered without a fight to lowly Tyldesley.

This switchback season just gets stranger and stranger. No sooner has a pathetic performance against Sandbach sparked a mighty return to form against Burnage, than it’s back to square one against an average team from along the East Lancs Road.

Apathetic Wilmslow, who have slipped to 10th in a table of 14, can expect no favours at eighth-placed Leigh on Saturday, where they must put some fire in their bellies and turn this season around.

That away win at Altrincham Kersal on the first day of term seems so far away now. Defeat at table toppers Lymm was no disgrace and a win on the long road to lowly Aspatria partly expected. But narrow defeats by just one point to New Brighton and Sandbach are beginning to cost this side dearly.

Now this inept display against Tyldesley, resulting in a 20-point defeat – the heaviest this season – is unforgivable.

The talent is there, in a young side packed with ability. But where is the spirit, where is the heart?

A late, late try for winger Jordan Kennedy was too little, too late to add to fly-half Ian Roberts’ two penalties and make any difference to the score or Wilmslow’s pathetic performance.

It presents a monumental test for new coach Giles Heagerty who was so disgusted he had nothing to say to his players in the changing room afterwards and walked away.

They had a verbal roasting and physical battering waiting for them on the Pownall Park paddock, for Heagerty has no surrender in mind.

"The biggest issue was lack of skills and that will be addressed this week. There were times when we strung together some good rugby, but not enough. There were some flashes of talent and inspiration. Again, that is not enough."

Jordan Kennedy is a strike force to be reckoned with, but what can he do without the ball? Scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone worked well behind the scrum and both substitutes Matt Williams and Jordan Ayrey showed there are options to consider. But this is no time for hollow promises. Every player at Wilmslow knows they have work to do.

Tyldesley built their tally of points on some shocking Wilmslow tackling and a virtuoso display by centre Mark Dickinson, whose three tries, four conversions and a penalty contributed 26 of the visitors’ 31 points.

It was no surprise Wilmslow were seven points down inside three minutes for they are notoriously bad starters.

But Dickinson added a penalty half way through the first half and Wilmslow offered precisely nothing in return.

The sight of No 8 Ryan Parkinson and flanker Charlie Levings running onto horizontal, bullet passes from scrum half Mulchrone provided a treat, but nothing came of them.

Roberts had a bad day at the office and his backs suffered similarly. The forwards needed fight. Physical, ugly fight.

Rugby is about controlled aggression. Winning is a little more than that and Wilmslow must find it, and fast.

The Vikings lost 12-6 at Sandbach but the Hawks development side had a thumping 93-3 win against their thirds. The fourth XV lost to Knutsford.